Closure for envelops and package-wraps.



No. 841,699. PATENTED JAN. 22, 1907. R. R. LAWSON.

GLOSURB FOR ENVBLOPS AND PACKAGEWRAPS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.9. 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 841,699. PATENTED JAN. 22, 1907.

.R. R. LAWSON. CLOSURE POR ENVELOPS AND PACKAGE WRAPS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 9. 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

gay. 9. l 20.

WJTNESSES.- 'INI/ENTOR ff KM By @ef/2;,

- by means of one and the same cord closure,

p which the following is a specification.

yc osure end of another envelo or wrap, illus- UNITED STATES ROBERT R. LAWSON.

PATENT OFFICE.

OF NEW YORK. N. Y.

No. 841,699. specication of Letters Patent. Patented Jan. 22, 1907..

Application led September 9, 1904. VSerial No. 223.918.

To a/ZZ whom it 11i/(Ly con/cern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT R'. LAWSON, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of the borough of Brooklyn, New York city, in the State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Closures for Envelops and Package-Wraps, of

This invention relates to what may be termed string or cord closures; and it consists in a novel device adapted to be incorporated in an envelop for mail or express matter or in a wrap for boxes and other packages, as hereinafter set forth and claimed.

The leading objects of the present invention are to facilitate quickly unfastening and securely resealing such envelops and wraps to adapt the same to be made with the main flap integral with the body of the envelop or wrap, and in the preferred species to obviate tying the cord in the operation of sealing or resealing the closure.

Two sheets of drawings accompany this specification as art thereof.

Figures 1 an 2 are back views of the closure end of an envelop or package-wrap rimarily designed for fourth-class mail-matter, showing the closure respectively ready for sealing and sealed. Fig. 3 is a face view of the same envelop or wrap as it leaves the sender. Fig. 4 is a small scaleQface view of the unfastened envelop or wrap. Fig. 5 re resents the gummedv sheet or paster part y exposed in 'Fig 3. Fig. 6 is a face view of the closure end of an express-envelop constituting a second species. Fig."7 is a face viewof a resealing-paster-used in connection with the closure represented by Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a back view of the closure end of another envelop or ackage-wrap, illustrating a third s ecies. igs. 9 and 10 are face views of the trating a fourth s ecies` and s owing the closure respectively efore and after the sealing operation. Figs. 11 and 12 are .pers ective views of a box-wrap provided with t e improved closure, showing, respectively, the ack and the front of the same as it appears before sealing. 4 v

Like 'reference letters and numbers .indicate like parts in all the figures. The improved closure in all its, forms comprises a main flap a or a2 or. a3, integral with the body b of the envelop or wrap and adapted to be folded upon itself and permanently secured in folded condition by adhesive gum or paste, (represented at ein Fig. 1,) the en- Avelop or wrap being of any of the foldable materials ordinarily employed for lsuch articles. The flap a is intended to be gummed, as above,.at the factory, so as to be self-sealing. Said main flap a or a2 or a3 is preferably and conveniently formed in continuation of the front of an open-ended envelop or wrap at the open end thereof and coacts with a string or cord d, embracing the' end of the envelo or wrap or a sufficient portion thereof wit or without the aid of notches ein the edges of the envelop or wrap to locate the cord and having its ends 1 and 2 secured by a aster f or f2 vor f3 or f 4, of thinner material than the body b or material that can easily be torn, as thin paper gummed on one side andadhesively attached to the front of the envelop or wrap.

In the several species represented by Figs. 1 to 8, inclusive, and Figs. 11 and 12 the cord d is drawn across the back of the envelop or wrap at the closure end to form a keeper 3, an'd the ends 1 and 2 are drawn across thel front in opposite directions and stretched side by side beneath the pasterf or f2 or f4, which securely fastens them and attaches the cord d in its final shape to the envelop or wrap, so that it is only necessary at the sealing operation to insert the flap a beneath the keeper 3, as in Figs. 1 and 11, and then to double this flap upon itself and around the cord, as in Fig. 2, after damp'ening it so that it will seal itself, to complete the .sealed envelop or wrap in the shape in which it leaves the sender.

In all the species the ends 1 and 2 of the cord d project in' opposite directions from beneath' the paster, and the envelop or wrap is unfastened andopened by simply pulling the respective ends of the cord d 1n opposite directions toward and past each other, so as to tear the same free from the paster. Fig. 4.) Pulling one end of the cord may suffice to free bo th, and until the cord is thus freed or is cut the closure is securely fastened.

In the first species (illustrated by Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive) there is in addition to the paster f above described, which is shown detached by Fig. 5, a superposed resealing-paster g, (shown in Figs. 3 and 4,) bearing iterally or in substance the following notice to postmas ters: After examining contents lease close 4 with this tab. A portion 4 of this resealingpaster g, which does not extend over the cord d, is gummed fast at the factory, leaving a IIO.

flap or tab 5 at the other edge of the paster unattached, but provided on its back with adhesive gum g so as tol provide for'gumming it down over the cord toreseal the envelop after inspection. Both pasters bear the direction: To open, pull cord. @therwise the pasterf may in this species be blank.

In the second species (illustrated by Figs. 6 and 7) another style, 9 2, of resealing-paster is usedto facilitate the employment` of the closure by express companies, insurance companies, and the like, where it is desirable to have one and the saine envelop pass back and forth between two offices. For example, the a ents of an express company are furnishe with such gummed pasters g2, one of which is shown detached by Fig. 7, and'inv order to reseal an envelop after it has been opened one of them is gummed fast over the paster f2 (shown in Fig. 6) after rearranging the .ends of the cord d as before. By this means in sending. express-matter from one office to another under seal and in getting returns to the original office the same envelop can be used-any number of times. The closure` can be used in like manner by insurance companies and in other businesses.

In the third species (represented by Fig. 8) the gummed portion or tongue end 6 of the main Hap a2 is reduced in Width, so as to facilitate handling and sealing it, and the cord d in this case is drawn through a pair of Yholes 7 and 8 in the back of the body b and out through the holes formed, by said notches e in the edges of the envelop 'or wrap to form the keeper 8 instead of drawing it acrossthe back of the envelop or Wrap as a whole. In either case the cord d forms a convenient keeper 3, beneath which the tongue end 6 of the fia is inserted preliminary to sealing it aroun the cord.

In the fourth species (illustrated by Figs. 9 and 10) the cord d is fastened at mid-length in the main flap a3 at the factory, andthe gummed sheet or paster f3 is permanently attached along one half 9, leaving the other half 10 free, as illustrated by Fig. 9,y and the is'fastened by drawing the d from opposite sides across the front benerth the paster f 3'and then gumming down said portion 10 over the cord, a knot being conveniently located beneath the paster if the cord is tied. In this arrangement the paster f3 fastens the envelop or wrap in the same manner as the resealingpasters g and g2 of the first and second species, and the external appearance of the fastened closure is or may be identical with that of either of the resealed closures above described. p

In the fifth species (represented by Figs. 11 and 12) the closure is applied to a wrap for boxes or box-shaped packages. The main iap c may be and preferably is of the same form as that of the species first deenvelop or wra scribed. -The cord d is attached at the factory beneath an.addresslabel on the front of the wrap, which constitutes the pasterf4, and is further. secured by side portions 11 and 12 of the body b, gummed down over the cord d, so that the ends 1 and 2 of the cord project at the back of the wrap at the respective ends of the keeper 3.

lApart from the improved closure as above described the construction of the respective envelops and Wraps shown in the drawings forms no part of the present invention and need not, therefore, be specified.

It will be understood that the closure as applied to envelops may be made with or without said notches e at theedges of the envelop to assist in holding the cord d in place. The terms back and front are used herein arbitrarily and by way of accommodation and, may be applied at will to any opposite faces or sides of envelops or wraps. In

- the second species the back of the envelop or wrap may be either. of the construction and y arrangement shown in Fig.- 1 or that shown in Fig. 8. In the third species the front may be either of the construction andarrangement illustrated'by Figs. 3 and 5 or that illustrated .by Figs. 6 and 7. In the fourth and fifth species resealing-pasters may obviously be superadded. he paster and resealingpaster may be of'any preferred shape and l provided with any suitable printed'matter Aor other distinguishing-marks to provide for detecting counterfeits. both ends of long envelops and wraps or at one or each of the longer edges of the enveloi or wrap in some cases, and other like modifications will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. f

Having thus described said improvement, I claim as my invention and desire to patent under this specification- 1. A closure for envelops and package- The closure may be at wra s comprising a mainflap integral withv I the ody of the envelop or wrap and arranged to fold down`on the back of the envelop or wrap, a free-ended cord extending around the envelop or wrap or av sufficient portion thereof parallel lwith the fold of said main iiap and doubled across the face of the envelop or wrap with its ends protruding in opposite directions, said main flap being interlocked with said cord by doubling the flap on itself and around the cordand securing the same in this shape, and a paster of thin paper or the like affixed to the front of the envelop or wra and serving to'- cover and secure the dou led portion of said cord and to provide for opening the closure by pulling the cord and thereby tearing. it free from said paster.

2. A closure for envelops and packagewraps comprising a self'- sealing gummed main flap integral with the body of the envelop or Wrap-and arranged to fold down on the back of the envelop or Wrap and to be v doubled upon itself with its gummed surface inside, a free-endedcord extending aroundv the envelop or Wrap or a suHicient portion thereof parallel with the fold of said main flap and doubled across the face of the envelop or Wrap with its ends protruding in opposite directions, said main flap being interlocked With said cord by doubling and seal in the flap around the cord, and a paster of thin paper or the like affixed to the front of the envelop or Wrap and serving to cover and secure the doubled portion of said cord and to provide for opening the closure b pulling the cord andthereby tearing it free rom said paster.

3.. A 'closure for envelops or packagewraps comprising a main liapintegral with the body of the envelop or Wrap and arran ed to fold-down on its back and to be docu led upon itself, a free-ended cord extending around the envelop or wrap or a suflicient portion thereof parallel with the fold of said main flap forming a keeper on the back of the envelop or Wra to interlock with said main flap and double across the face of the envelop or Wrap with its ends protruding in opposite directions, and a paster ofthin` paper or the like affixed to the face of the envelop or Wrap and arranged to cover and se* cure the doubled portion of the cord and to provide for opening the envelop or Wrap by pulling the cord and thereby tearing it free from said paster.

4. A closure. for envelops or package- Wraps comprising a main fla adapted to'be folded down on the back o the envelo or keeper at the back of the envelops orwrapv beneath' which saidmain flap may be passedV and around which said main flap is folded and permanently secured, said cord being also doubled across the front of the envelop or Wrap with its respective ends protruding in o posite directions, a paster of thin paper or tllie like affixed to said front of the envelop or Wrap lso as to cover and secure said doubled portionof the cord` and to provide for opening the envelop or Wrap4 by pulling the cord and thereby tearing it free from said paster, and a sup lemental paster of thin paper or the like fp velop or Wrap in like manner after rearranging the cord beneath the same.

or resealing the en-4 5. A closure for envelops or .packagel Wraps comprising a main flap adapted to be or t e like'afflxed to said front of the envelop o1' -Wrap so as to cover and secure said doubled portion of the cord .and to provide for opening the envelop or Wrap by pulling the cord and thereby tearing it free from thin paper or the like or resealing the envelop or Wrap in like manner after rearranging the cord beneath the same; such resea ing-paster being aflixed'to the paster first named on one side of the cord and adapted to have its free portion or tab gumnied fast over the cord to reseal the envelop or Wrap,

substantially as hereinbefore specified.

ROBERT R. LAWSON. Witnesses: y

D. J. MCQUILLAN,

P. J. MURPHY.

i said paster, and a sup lemental paster of. 

